Baikonur Cosmodrome Incident Suspends Russian Crewed Flights
A servicing cabin collapsed at the Baikonur Cosmodrome during preparations for the Soyuz MS-28 launch to the International Space Station (ISS). This accident has led to a suspension of crewed missions from this historic launch site for the first time since 1961.
Overview of the Incident
- The collapse occurred while servicing the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft.
- The Baikonur Cosmodrome is one of the oldest and most significant spaceports globally, historically essential to the Soviet and Russian space programs.
- This suspension marks a major disruption in Russia’s capability to send astronauts into space from Baikonur.
Impact and Historical Context
- No crewed launches have been halted from Baikonur for over six decades, making this event unprecedented.
- The Baikonur Cosmodrome was the launch site of Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space, in 1961.
- The incident underscores potential risks and vulnerabilities in maintaining aging infrastructure critical to space exploration.
Quotation from the Report
"A servicing cabin collapsed at the Baikonur Cosmodrome during the launch of the Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS)."
The collapse at Baikonur highlights the pressing need for maintenance and updates of key space facilities to avoid future pauses in crewed space missions.
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UNITED24 Media — 2025-11-28